As a head coach, Ryan Jorden 鈥�95 transformed two collegiate soccer programs into national contenders: California Baptist University and University of the Pacific. In May, he signed on to coach the UCLA men鈥檚 soccer team, a perennial participant in the NCAA Tournament and four-time national champion. The previous head coach got caught in the admissions bribery scandal and resigned. Ryan, a longtime Bruins fan, expressed interest in the position and became the 11th men鈥檚 soccer head coach at UCLA.
Ryan arrived at 蜜桃传媒 in 1991, Dave Wolf鈥檚 first year coaching the men鈥檚 soccer team. Excited about competing in college, Ryan played all four years with the Warriors, who went to the NAIA Tournament twice and won 65 games during that time. 鈥淚 enjoyed blending strong academics with athletic competition at a high level,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 seek to replicate this unusual experience for my players.鈥�
A kinesiology major, Ryan intended to earn a doctorate in physical therapy but soon decided a master鈥檚 in biomechanics would be a better fit. While he worked on his degree at Oregon State University, he connected with the soccer program and served as an assistant coach for Jimmy Conway, who played professional soccer in Ireland, England and the United States. 鈥淚 got a wonderful education from him as a coach,鈥� Ryan says.
Returning to Westmont, Ryan became an assistant coach for Dave Wolf, taught some kinesiology classes and worked with the biomechanics lab. Stan Gaede 鈥�69, then provost, offered him a tenure-track job if he completed a doctorate, so Ryan earned his degree in exercise science with an emphasis in biomechanics at the University of Northern Colorado. While there, he worked with the women鈥檚 soccer program.
Back at 蜜桃传媒, Ryan juggled an increased teaching load, including upper-division classes, with coaching men鈥檚 soccer as an assistant and completing his doctorate. He and his wife, Liz Lawrence Jorden 鈥�93, also had two young sons. 鈥淚t was a challenging time,鈥� Ryan says. 鈥淟iz and I decided the combination of teaching and coaching wasn鈥檛 tenable long-term.鈥�
The family moved to Riverside, and Ryan worked full time as the head men鈥檚 soccer coach at Cal Baptist. 鈥淚t was much better for our family life and turned out to be a step in the right direction,鈥� he says. During more than five years there, Ryan guided the team through the transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division 2. He posted a 60-30-10 overall record and won two National Christian College Athletic Association championships.
In 2013, University of the Pacific decided to restart an NCAA Division 1 men鈥檚 soccer team after abolishing it 28 years earlier. Building a program from scratch offered a unique opportunity, and Ryan pursued the position. The university gave him tremendous support and autonomy as he began recruiting players. Within three years, the Tigers qualified for the NCAA Tournament despite winning only one game in 2015. The 2016 team, 13-4-2, improved its win-loss record over the previous year by the largest margin ever in Division I men鈥檚 soccer history. Jorden earned NCAA Far West Region and West Coast Conference Coach of the Year honors. In each of the last three seasons, UOP reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, one of only two West Coast teams to achieve this success.
At UCLA, Ryan seeks to return the Bruins to a top-10 team. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to be at UCLA and recruit the top players in the country,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nytime you take over a new coaching role, you have to help players understand the environment you want to create for them. I鈥檓 building a team culture that allows players to maximize their individual growth so the whole team can perform at a winning level. I鈥檓 focusing on developing players through teaching and coaching.鈥�